The Yule Ball
by Atana
Summary: It's the last party -- the last dance -- for Snips and Spirals. What happens when Igor Karkaroff makes his move?
1. Default Chapter

**DISCLAIMER: "Calendar Girl" originally written and performed by Neil Sedaka. "Magic" originally written and performed by Gypsy. "You're My Best Friend" originally written and performed by Queen. WAM does exist (but not as a group), and these people had worked together before, but not in this type of situation (at least publicly).**

**The SnS universe is NOT ending. Be on the lookout for the SnS viewpoints in my take of 'Prisoner of Azkaban', entitled 'Rectifying the Past'.**

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**Snips and Spirals Fanfic:**

**"The Yule Ball"**

**Text by Lady Tesser**

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**CHAPTER ONE - "Preparation"**

**Friday, December 20th, 1974 saw the Hogwarts Express taking home the smallest amount of students in all the years in which it had been operational.**

**Most all of the Fourth-Year and older students were staying for the Yule Ball, leaving just over half of the student population staying over winter holidays. A few of the younger students were staying, either by tradition or by having dates to the Yule Ball, but the school did feel slightly empty after the youngest students had left.**

**Britomartis Vox - age fourteen, Third-Year, Slytherin House, Quidditch team Beater, and the latter half of the duo of Snips and Spirals - was none too pleased with visiting Hogsmeade for so long, especially without Sev.**

**The rest of her roommates (Fallon O'Shanahan not present due to going back home for the holidays and being a First-Year) had dragged her to Gladrags yet AGAIN to get her a gown and robe for the Yule Ball since she was the last of her roommates to get a date to the Ball.**

**Current Wizard fashions were not her forte, and she knew this. Especially after Oriana Crescent and Peony Danderfluff attempted to stuff her into several types of dresses with thousands of layers of petticoats like their own, or else putting her into velvet or satin monstrosities that either clashed with her coloring or did not work with her overendowed assets. Akiko at least offered items in the proper color range.**

**Finally fed up with the overabundance of British-tainted estrogen, Martis located a light blue gown in one of the corners, slapped it on the clerk's counter, and said, "I'll work with this one - wrap it up."**

**The clerk lifted up the old-fashioned gown and raised an eyebrow. "This gown is dreadfully out of style, Miss. We were selling it as a vintage costume, 1930's era."**

**Oriana and Peony made faces. "You need something better than that."**

**Akiko, slightly more creative than the other two, nodded slowly. "I can see where you want to go with this, Spirals. Want me to help?"**

**Martis smirked. "You read me so well."**

**"I've also seen those pictures from your home; I think I know what you have in mind." **

**"Good," Martis stated. She turned to the clerk. "I'm buying it, now quit balking or I'll pay it all in knuts."**

**"Hopeless!" Oriana exclaimed as the clerk rang up the sale.**

**"Well, think of it this way," Peony assured her. "She'll still look better than Snape."**

**Oriana rolled her eyes. "He may have nice fingers, but he's still a scruffy bugger."**

**----------**

**Said person - Severus Snape (turning sixteen-years-old the very next day, Fifth-Year, Slytherin House, most talented potions student in the entire school, the former half of Snips and Spirals) - had received a package in the owl-delivered mail during the time Martis was in Hogsmeade. The return address was given as 'Lady Tenebria Snape, Snape Estate, Wiltshire, England' - and after reading the return address, he tucked the package inside his robe and ran up to his dorm room.**

**The dorm room empty, he entered and locked the door, then placed the package on his small desk and opened it carefully.**

**Inside was clothing and a note.**

**'My darling Sevi,**

**I had read in the 'Daily Prophet' about the Yule Ball at your school for the Triwizard Tournament, and I wanted to make sure you had a nice set of dress robes for the Ball. It was your father's wedding suit which he had not worn since then. I assure you, I cleansed and purified it quite thoroughly, so it should not have any of his Residue on it. You will probably have to ask your House Mother to help alter it a bit, though.**

**I'm sorry I wasn't able to send you a new set of dress robes, my darling. Consider this a birthday present, and please enjoy yourself at the ball with your strong-minded friend.**

**Love,**

**Mother'**

**Sev gently touched the black velvet and satin, feeling the completely neutral energies of the garments. He could hardly tell they had belonged to his father at all, save for the snake and raven embellished cuffs that were emblems of the Snape family crest.**

**He was not sure what to think of the offer from his mother. Getting rid of the dress robes his father wore when he raped his bride their wedding night ... offering them to the son who was looking more and more like him every day ... at least she bothered to clean the residue from them.**

**Sev closed the paper over the garments and shoved the package under his bed.**

**----------**

**The next day, Saturday, was Sev's sixteenth birthday.**

**No longer able to have Slytherin to themselves, Martis and Sev spent it in the Conversation Room with Cornish Pixi Stix, Divinity, Chocoballs, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, Gummi Skrewts, Sugar Quills, Ice Mice, a sample of every type of chocolate block, coffee, hot chocolate, and a few little gifts.**

**"The second book in the Larry Pothead series!" Sev chuckled as he finished unwrapping the book. "Year Two: 'Larry Pothead and the Bong of Secrets'. Thanks, Spirals!"**

**Martis giggled. "We'll be adults by the time Ms. Almloving is finished writing them, she's planned on seven."**

**"One novel a year is pretty good," Sev concluded. "Considering this one is twice as thick as the first."**

**"We'll continue to collect them as long as she writes them," Martis stated, hugging his waist. "Come on, your other present."**

**She handed him another package and Sev opened it to find a silver-colored metal snake belt with glossy green eyes. "Martis?"**

**"It's for the Yule Ball, to fancy up your tunic," she explained. She uncoiled it and inserted the tail into the mouth's clasp. "See? Like an ouroboros. Very easy to use. It's actually your Christmas present, but I wanted to give it to you early. I'll find something else for your Christmas present."**

**"Martis - !"**

**"Hm?" she released the belt and looked up at him.**

**"Thank you."**

**"Most welcome." She pulled her sunglasses off and tossed them away, then snuggled against him. "My Darling Sweet Sixteen Snips."**

**"I feel my testosterone draining," he remarked in a deadpan manner.**

**She snickered. "All right - My Manly and Macho Master Severus the Stud."**

**Sev broke into laughter and Martis hugged him tightly until the laughing finally tapered off.**

**"Want to read the Larry Pothead book to me?"**

**Sev nodded, picking it up. "Promise not to go to sleep?"**

**"If I do, just remember to draw the daisies on my cheeks and not my forehead, my bangs would cover it up."**

**Sev opened the book and read: "'Chapter One: The Worst Birthday ... Not for the first, an argument had broken out at the Blafoy Manor' ... "**

**----------**

**As the week wore on, the entire school was tense with excitement over the Yule Ball for Christmas evening.**

**But Professor Sejanus Sartoris, Potions Master of Hogwarts and Death Eater trainer and recruiter for his master Lord Voldemort, had other things on his mind.**

**The Durmstrang students were still keeping up with their Dark Arts studies as he and Professor Auttenbaum had discussed several weeks ago. He did not mind the midnight classes on the Durmstrang ship, nor did he mind having private tutoring sessions with the two members of the Beauxbatons student council on the trip (especially with that lovely girl Harrietta Bujold; reminded him how much he missed his granddaughter back home, although this child probably could not make a decent steak and kidney pudding to save her life).**

**The Slytherin and the few Ravenclaw students in his structure were also getting along quite well in their DA studies, especially Bellatrix Black, whose own innate sense of cruelty gave even him the creeps. He fully expected the Dark Lord to take this one as his Mistress since both had similar tastes of humor.**

**The one student that had been giving him trouble was his own potions protege, Severus Snape. Master Snape seemed to have abandoned his studies around the time of the Dark Lord's visit, to which Sartoris had to bully him back into, which seemed to have done little in the way of progress.**

**Sartoris' patience was getting thin. He was not one for politics or diplomacy like the rest of his colleagues, he was merely a teacher and first contact to send the young ones on their way. And yet, if he could not keep one of his own young ones - especially his pet student - from continuing his studies, then the Dark Lord would be very irate, indeed.**

**The Dark Lord specifically wanted the Snape boy for potion work - the Snape family produced the finest potion masters in Wizarding history, and that boy's raw talents exceeded even Sartoris'.**

**Sartoris could not afford to lose him.**

**However, he had found quite by accident a chink in the boy's rebellious armor, and he had to use it, despite how silly and preposterous the chink was.**

**Pulling out parchment and quill, Sartoris began a letter:**

**'My Lord,**

**It has come to my attention that young Master Snape - the potions protege - is neglecting his studies and has instead focused his attentions on ... '**

**----------**

**Tom Riddle - known to his followers as the Dark Lord and to the Wizarding world who knew of him as 'You-Know-Who' - read Sartoris' concern with mild interest.**

**Perhaps it would be best to look after this particular protege for a little while. The boy's slip in his studies was distressing, but might be nothing to worry about. After all, Voldemort had also kept tabs on this Vox girl, and he vaguely remembered his own fully human youth and how he fell under the charms of long hair and attractive figures of the opposite sex.**

**Nagini, his young python, slithered up his chair and rested his head on Voldemort's armrest. The Dark Lord stroked Nagini's head. "Yes, my little one," he hissed in Parseltongue. "I know how you miss that young lady python at Hogwarts, but know that your offspring will grow strong and powerful."**

**Nagini hissed softly.**

**----------**

**Christmas Eve dinner went by quickly and students returned to their common rooms.**

**"What do you and Snape usually do when you're here over vacation?" Oriana asked.**

**Martis glanced up at the ceiling. "Make snow goons, whip up pranks, freak out Peeves, sleep in the common room on Christmas Eve ... nothing much."**

**Peony leaned over the couch between them. "Is it really true that you two set off the Protection Spells TWICE last Christmas?"**

**"Not intentionally - one was an accident, the other was because Filch got Snips tanked."**

**"Wouldn't trust anything given to me by Filch," Oriana shivered.**

**"It was in good faith, actually." Martis got up. "I need to work on my gown."**

**As she ascended the stairs to the girls' dorm, a feeling of dread came over her. And it felt like it had everything to do with Sev.**

**----------**

**Sev pulled his pajama bottoms on, then stood in front of the mirror of his dorm room and combed his wet hair, making sure to part it evenly and all was stick straight before he was satisfied.**

**After putting his comb away, he collapsed on his bed and stared up at the green canopy over it.**

**It felt ... good ... not having to study Dark Arts the past month. Almost like he felt a weight lifted from his chest. Sartoris had done his usual windbag threats yet again earlier that evening, but there was no way he was going back to studying all that - not for his father, not for their Dark Master. This was HIS life, and what he chose to do with it was ultimately up to him.**

**At least until his father came round and beat him half senseless again.**

**But Sev already had plans. He was not going to go back home this summer. He was going to stay on the Hogwarts Express all the way to London, then go to Crete with Martis.**

**She knew about his Darkness, and she still refused to leave him. This meant he sure as hell was not going to let her go, either.**

**Once they both were old enough and had learned all they could, they were going to fight against the Darkness and the Dark Wizard that had claimed her children. Once that was done ...**

**Perhaps it was wishful thinking or being too optimistic or allowing himself to actually have a shred of hope, but he held onto that shred ever so tightly within his bitter, twisted heart.**

**Sev's eyes focused on a fly buzzing around the dorm room. "Too late in the year for you, you know," he commented darkly, picking his wand up and zapping the fly out of the air.**

**He sighed and closed his eyes. He needed to try on the suit and see if it fit, then try to find a way to alter it if it did not.**

**----------**


	2. Christmas

**CHAPTER TWO - "Christmas"**

**Christmas morning in Slytherin House was a riot, as three trees had been set up and there were packages all over the place for the nearly one hundred twenty students staying over the holiday.**

**Sev and Martis had claimed a loveseat near the fireplace and exchanged presents quietly, silently agreeing that their Christmases alone in Slytherin were much better than sharing it with people they hardly knew and did not care for at all.**

**"Next year will be better, Spirals," Sev assured her. "It'll be just us again."**

**"I hope so," Martis muttered. "It felt WRONG not sleeping with you this year."**

**Thomas St. Claire, who had been floating by, nearly choked on his Fizzing Whizbee.**

**Sev and Martis ignored him. She leaned against Sev and hugged him around the waist. "Thank you for the new bottle of perfume - this Nag Champa smells delicious."**

**"Thought you might like it. It smells like I imagine the temples on Crete to smell like from what you described."**

**"It should." She opened the bottle again and inhaled. "Smells goooood ... !"**

**Sev turned his own present around in his fingers. "Very elegant hairtie. I like the snake bead." He smirked. "Shall I wear it tonight when I escort you to the Yule Ball?"**

**"You can if you wish," she answered vaguely, nuzzling against his throat.**

**Sev kissed her forehead, embracing her in their island of solitude.**

**Which had quickly been pulverized by a tsunami of female roommates picking Martis up from the loveseat and stating, "We need to work on your hair!"**

**"What?" Martis asked as she was pulled out of Sev's arms.**

**"We finally get to play with your hair!" Peony exclaimed. "You have to have your hair done up for the Yule Ball!"**

**"So much of it," Oriana sighed, picking up strands. "You have Fantasy Hair!"**

**"Let go of my hair!" Martis cried. "The only person who gets to touch my hair is Snips!"**

**Sev blushed as the roommates smirked at him, then they led her up to the girls' dorm staircase.**

**"We promise to bring her back this evening, Snape," Akiko called. "Be dressed and ready to receive your date."**

**"This isn't a date!" Martis insisted.**

**"Suuuuuuuure it isn't!" the roommates giggled.**

**Sev watched them drag Martis upstairs. He chuckled to himself, thinking that she looked perfectly fine with her knee-length hair loose and long and tendriling around her body and over her curves ...**

**Never mind that. Need to have Miss Price alter his dress robes.**

**----------**

**By the time evening arrived, the air in Slytherin was positively electric.**

**Sev had gotten his robes back in time for him to shower again and comb his hair back into the new hairtie with the rich black leather thong and silver snake bead.**

**He glanced at his reflection in his room's mirror while his roommates were also getting ready.**

**Thomas laughed behind him. "Ryper, you do not look right in that suit!"**

**Sev turned, noting that baby powder blue was not really a suitable color for the pale skinned and dark-haired Evan Ryper. "He's right, you look like a tomato."**

**"That's 'fruit', Snape," Fearghus chortled. "A 'tomato' is what we call the hot-looking girls."**

**Demetrius danced around the room and sang some Muggle song that all of them really did not want to hear: **

**"I love, I love, I love my calendar girl**

**Yeah, sweet calendar girl**

**I love, I love, I love my calendar girl**

**Each and every day of the year ... "**

**"Give it up, Jones," Fearghus commented. "You're going with Miss March, anyway."**

**"Yeah - and Ryper's going with Miss May and Snape is going with Miss July."**

**Various shoes and combs and pieces of hard candy were thrown at him. Sev contributed a charm to make the Beater's dredded hair turn bright pink.**

**Sev turned back to the mirror. He looked quite passable. He certainly hoped Martis would appreciate all the effort he put into looking 'acceptable'.**

**Discreetly, he slipped his wand inside his sleeve.**

**----------**

**Peony and Oriana studied the heavily-altered dress Martis wore.**

**"Actually, that looks pretty good," Oriana admitted.**

**Peony giggled. "And it's SO Spirals!"**

**Martis made a face. "My hair weighs a ton."**

**"It's the same, just differently balanced," Akiko told her as she smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles in her black and red cheongsam dress.**

**Peony and Oriana got up, their wide petticoat-shaped skirts brushing and knocking into everything. Peony's satin monstrosity in deep pink and Oriana's blue and green velvet abomination took up a good portion of floor space in the dorm compared to Akiko's figure-hugging dress and Martis' organically draped gown.**

**Martis gazed at her roommates and herself in the mirror's reflection and commented, "We look like a pack of tropical birds in full plumage, waiting to get shot by the natives."**

**"We're not that bad."**

**"Can I use Medusa as a necklace?"**

**"No snakes!"**

**"She'd complete the outfit."**

**"No!"**

**----------**

**Sev was hustled down the stairs by his roommates where the rest of the Slytherin guys were waiting for their dates from their own House.**

**"Girls take forever to dress," one Sixth-Year complained.**

**"The results are worth it, my brothers," a Seventh-Year answered.**

**"I've always wondered," a Fifth-Year mused. "Why girls always travel in packs to the bathroom?"**

**"Me, too," several others agreed.**

**"Simple," Evan said casually. "That's when they use the loo as a Floo portal to talk to other girls in other bathrooms and compare notes about us guys."**

**Several of the boys laughed, although a few took it quite seriously. "Really, man, that makes sense!"**

**"Of course it does," Evan replied. "If you ever go on a date with one of these girls, she'll tell all the other females in the vicinity and in different parts of the school before you'll find out if she liked the date or not. You're better off asking a random female how your date partner rated your time out rather than asking her."**

**Ryan Woot snagged Evan in a headlock. "There's a reason why this guy is the Hogwarts Champ - despite his suit looking fruity."**

**"It is NOT fruity!" Evan objected.**

**"It's fruity, Ryper," several guys confirmed. "Distinct overtones of hairdresser."**

**Evan grumbled, then pulled his wand out and performed a color-changing spell; the baby powder blue suit became a darker, more subdued blue.**

**Lucius Malfoy (in his own black and white velvet suit and robes) approached Sev, gazing at Sev's own outfit. "Quite understated, Snape."**

**Sev shrugged. "It's all right."**

**"At least twenty years out of fashion, I'd say?" Lucius remarked. "Of course, I suppose it's better than the rags you normally wear."**

**"Go boil your head, Malfoy."**

**Lucius' attention was elsewhere. "Ah, the ladies arrive - fashionably late."**

**The girls descended the staircase from their dorms and a few of the less mature male individuals whistled in encouragement. It did not help that a few girls strutted around the place in some of the most hideous gowns Sev had seen.**

**And then his own date appeared -**

**Sev felt his breath catch as he stared at Martis. The gown was light blue and Grecian in design. The sleeves were split down the arm but held together at intervals with gold spiraled snakes, showing off slivers of dusky skin. A twisted gold-colored rope was tied several times around her waist and hips, enhancing the effect of her curves. The neckline was soft and drapy, low enough to see a hint of cleavage. The skirt fell to her feet, sweeping against the floor but never quite touching it.**

**Her hair had been looped around and styled up with a waterfall of hair falling down to her waist in the back. A golden labrys rested on a thin chain from her neck, her only piece of jewelry.**

**Sev grabbed Evan's tie. "She's incredible, Ryper! Look at her! My Gods, she's exquisite!"**

**Evan managed to release himself from Sev's grasp. "Fine, Snape. Just remember to clean up after yourselves when you're done ravishing her."**

**Sev narrowed his eyes at Evan, then made his way toward Martis.**

**----------**

**Martis gazed at Sev across the room as he approached. She would never have believed any male could wear black satin and look wonderfully male, but Sev managed it. The black velvet trousers fit perfectly, while the black satin high-necked tunic draped properly above his knees. It was belted up with the ouroboros belt she had given him for his birthday. Armbands cuffed the sleeve between his shoulders and elbows, ornately designed in silver with snake and raven motifs. The tight sleeves reached down to his knuckles, making his fingers look even longer.**

**His hair was combed and braided, his Christmas present hairtie holding the end of the braid. Several forelocks had escaped the braid and had fallen over his forehead and into his eyes or against his cheeks.**

**"Great Mother," she breathed to Akiko. "He's ... beautiful."**

**Akiko smirked. Snape was not her first choice, but tonight he did live up to his Vox-given nickname of 'Dark Prince'. "He's coming this way."**

**Martis swallowed as the outer edges of her universe bled away, leaving Sev as the central focus of her world.**

**Sev delicately picked up her hand, bowing his head to brush his lips softly against the back of her hand. He gazed up at her. "You look lovely, Britomartis Vox."**

**Martis's olive skin tinged itself with a blush; she had no idea where he had learned something like that. "Thank you. And you are incredibly handsome tonight, Severus Snape."**

**He stood straight and turned her hand over to kiss her palm. "Only your opinion matters, Miss Vox."**

**Martis trembled and squealed, "Enough with the formalities!" Then wrapped him up in a hug and kissed his cheek all the way back to his ear, her hands moving up to his shoulders. "I dare any girl to not want to dance with you tonight!"**

**"I wouldn't care if they didn't," he whispered in her ear. **

**"You're mine, grr."**

**Sev chuckled, teasing her earlobe with his lips. "I could eat you up right here."**

**She giggled, blushing; somewhere in the back of her mind, the thought that the Protection Spells should have gone off flittered through her mind. She was certainly not thinking chaste thoughts right at the moment, especially of pulling him down on top of her right then and there. **

**She chided him, "Talk like that and we won't make it to dinner." She kissed his ear in return. "I'm so glad we're back to this again." Her hand traveled down the front of his tunic and she poked his belly. "Bother."**

**Sev broke into giggles, which alarmed everyone around them due to the unnatural expression of mirth from Snape.**

**----------**

**Everyone gathered outside the Great Hall - those with dates from different Houses wandered around to locate their partners, while those with partners giggled and talked and blushed a lot, upping the scents of hormones and teenagers even more.**

**Lily Evans appeared, wearing an elegant green gown that made her red of her hair stand out even more - James Potter's grinding teeth could be heard all over the corridor as Beauxbatons Champion Michel de Nostradom kissed her hand and her face lit up.**

**Durmstrang's Champion Igor Karkaroff - looking 'smart' in a gray military cut uniform and a dark blue robe - did not look too pleased as his date Oriana approached him. If anyone had actually noticed, they would have seen his cold gray eyes resting on Britomartis Vox the whole time.**

**The only Champion who looked truly relaxed and casual was Evan Ryper, who provided more of a background detail to his exotic date Akiko Mori.**

**The Marauders did indeed show what social classes they were comprised of - Sirius Black in a red and black suit of velvet (with fellow Chaser Sarah Holden on his arm), James Potter in a simple black brocade suit and robe (with the other female Chaser Carrie Oustabaum), Remus Lupin in an understated brown suit (escorting a quiet girl called Asenath Paroo), and Peter Pettigrew in one of his mother's surreal mish-mash creations of burgundy suit and robes with lace on the collar, cuffs, and any other tuck (his date wore a bag over her head, although everyone believed it was Linda Prewett).**

**Most of the girls were clad in the same large frocks as Martis' roommates, making the corridor even more crowded than usual.**

**"Baby sister!" the twins yelled.**

**Artemisia (in a yellow gown with black Greek key trim around the hems) and Adonia (clad in a short screaming-pink dress with showed off her bull-leaper's legs) pushed their way through the crowd to Sev and Martis. Behind them, they dragged their dates Fred Holden (Gryffindor, and Chaser Sarah Holden's brother) and Johnny Jensen (Ravenclaw Seeker).**

**"Ooh!" Adonia giggled. "You both look CUTE together!"**

**Sev made a face. "I am not 'cute'." He smirked. "I'm surprised you don't have a date who could wear a matching dress."**

**Adonia raspberried him. "I would have, but you know how prim these Brits are; for some reason, they think a drooling boy who thinks he's going to Get Some is a better date than a girlfriend that shares similar interests and philosophies."**

**Johnny Jensen rolled his eyes. "Well, I couldn't bring my date of choice, either, Doni. Unfortunately, Robert Crays would wet himself if he knew what I thought of him flying around those hoops on the pitch."**

**Martis giggled. "I often wondered how you could ignore me out there."**

**Artemisia interrupted, "Been practicing your dance?"**

**"Of course we have," Sev replied.**

**"More than," Martis purred.**

**Fred leaned close to Sev and quietly commented, "When she jumps you, just go limp; it minimizes damage to internal organs. I think all Voxes are like that."**

**"The twins I can understand," Sev retorted. "They proposition me every train trip."**

**Fred grinned. "And that's how I kept Arti's attention."**

**Sev raised an eyebrow, but decided that was more than he wanted to know.**

**The doors to the Great Hall opened and the students entered the chamber.**

**The twelve Christmas trees were heavily and beautifully decorated (more than usual), the candles floating above their heads were set in golden candelabras, garlands of holly and pine and icicles were swagged all around the Great Hall, the tables were covered in icy white cloths and set with the golden plates and flatware and elaborate centerpieces of ice sculptures and snow art, and Christmas crackers were placed between settings.**

**The enchanted ceiling exposed a star freckled sky and a glowing arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. In the distance, planets in phase could be picked out, while further out the faint glowing disk of the Andromeda Galaxy could be seen.**

**At the head table sat the three Heads of the three schools - Dumbledore in cranberry robes and looking almost like Father Christmas, Headmistress Auttenbaum in a simple tight black gown with black fur cuffs and collar, and Headmaster Flavert in a suit of white and bright red and his top hat decorated with mistletoe. On either side sat Malfada Hopkirk (in green) and Jocunda Sykes (in white).**

**The rest of the teaching staff of Hogwarts took up the sides of the head table, while the six seats closest to the judges were empty for the Champions and their partners.**

**The usual four tables were replaced by smaller round ones that seated a dozen people each, and students claimed tables with friends, which crossed over most all of the Houses.**

**Martis and Sev shared a table with the twins and their dates, Slytherin's Seeker Thomas St. Claire and Gryffindor's Seeker Jennifer Maxwell, Fearghus Flynn and Great Bulstrode (looking quite attractive for a change, in a rich copper-colored dress and her dark hair curled), and Demetrius Jones and Brittany Valkaria.**

**Crackers were pulled apart ... Martis got an acid pop and a lavender crown, while Sev got a mini-abacus and an orange crown. She wore her crown backwards while Sev slipped his wand out and transfigured his crown into a swag of mistletoe.**

**Fred snatched up the mistletoe and attacked Artemisia with it (well, held it over her head while his mouth attacked hers), which was quickly passed around to the rest of the table.**

**"What is your paper?" Sev asked Martis as she discarded her crown.**

**She pulled her sunglasses off to read the slip of paper. "'Love is everything it's cracked up to be … It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for'."**

**Both were silent a moment. She felt her heart beating quite hard in her chest. Finally, she asked, "What's your paper say?"**

**Sev held his slip of paper up to the lantern on the table. "'Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for'."**

**Her hand reached under the table and squeezed his. The crown-turned-mistletoe vanished to another table.**

**Everyone became silent as McGonagall - wearing a purple and green plaid gown and robe set with purple thistles and stems arranged on her hat brim - led the Champions and their partners through the Great Hall to the applause of the students, teachers, and judges.**

**When everyone had settled, menus appeared. Martis picked up hers. "Well, Snips, what do we have to throw at the Maraudiots tonight? Pork chops, roast beast, goulash ... ?"**

**"Hungarian dish," Brittany informed her. "Meat, peppers, and paprika mixture served over potatoes."**

**"Loose food, right?" Martis asked.**

**"Very messy, if you intend on throwing it at those Gryffindors."**

**Martis shook her head. "Be a waste of food." She glanced at her plate. "Rascasse."**

**Her dinner appeared at the same time Sev's did.**

**"You two are disgusting," Adonia giggled.**

**Both looked at their plates, looked at the other's order of white fish in light lemon sauce, then looked up. "Honestly," Martis said. "That wasn't planned."**

**Sev shrugged. "It was the only thing I could really eat on this menu."**

**"Sure," Artemisia teased.**

**----------**


	3. Dancing

**CHAPTER THREE - "Dancing"**

**Sev was quiet for most of the dinner. Everyone else around them gossiped and talked Quidditch, but it seemed he and Martis were far away from the room around them. **

**For some unknown reason, her clutching his hand under the table seemed much more intimate, much more electric. Frankly, it made his skin hypersensitive. He could feel every soft patch, every muscle, every sinew, every bone in her hand. The warm pressure and texture of her hand. The energies and emotions she radiated outward.**

**It did not help she was wearing the Nag Champa perfume he had made her for Christmas; its heady, musky, powdery scent wafting in his direction every time she moved her head or leaned toward him.**

**It also did not help when they finished dinner and she scooted her chair so she could lean back against him, allowing him to draw his arms around her and hold her and inhale her scent; he had vague ideas but strong emotions involving them alone in the Conversation Room. Not to mention from that angle, he could look right down her bodice.**

**Damn it, he was NOT going to let his hormones run away again and get his hopes up. She may bravely talk about such things with him, but he knew she would recoil in disgust at his own ... stupid, perverse desires for her skin. Gods, how he ached to be able to turn her face around and kiss her, but knowing that the world would not be so forgiving if he did try to do so stayed his actions.**

**Whatever did happen to that crown he turned into mistletoe?**

**Dumbledore got up, gaining everyone's attention, and instructed everyone in getting up as well. Once everyone was on their feet, he swept his wand across the room, and the tables and chairs vacated the central areas and lined up against the walls. Another wave of his wand, and another dais appeared from the floor, this one with violins, flutes, guitars, piano, and drums arranged on it.**

**The evening's entertainment arrived. The Slytherins were mildly disappointed it was not SPEW (all hope of locating them had finally died that moment), but this group was just as appreciated.**

**WAM, short for 'Wizard-Aware Muggles' picked up their instruments. They were a collection of Muggle musicians who rivaled the talents and abilities of Wizarding musicians, and had somehow developed a friendship with Britain's famous Singing Sorceress. They were comprised of Michael Pendragon, Kenny Klein, Tzipora Klein, Joe Laquidara, and Gypsy Ravish, all of them either current or soon-to-be Pagan recording artists in the Muggle world.**

**The applause increased when Celestina Warbeck herself appeared, stepping gracefully in front of WAM and allowing her golden cloak to shrug from her shoulders to reveal a green velvet gown and her shimmery golden-red hair.**

**The opening number began, a chiming of bells that blended into a slow pulse-driven beat of drums and bass. The Champions and there partners got up, moving to the center of the dance floor as the song began:**

**"Magic, magic, magic**

**if you use your imagination**

**Magic, magic, real magic**

**is a doorway to the mind**

**Magic, magic, magic**

**oh, it takes a bit of concentration**

**With magic, magic, real magic**

**of a very special kind ... "**

**Sev felt Martis' hand clench his tightly. He could feel her aura glowing warm enough to sear through their clothes and brush against his skin. She was from a primitive magical culture, a culture that used song and music to communicate with the mana of magic and sculpt it to their whims. Song to her was what potions were to him; after all, her own family name translated as 'voice'.**

**"Here is how to cast a spell**

**to know what is to be**

**Throw a coin in a wishing well**

**and see what you can see**

**Or look inside of a crystal ball**

**with the art of divination**

**Listen to your inner voice**

**you will find the information ... "**

**The rest of the students and staff slowly joined the three couples on the dance floor; Dumbledore danced with Madame Meringue while Headmaster Flavert guided the surprisingly agile Headmistress Auttenbaum across the floor. Professor Sartoris paired with Madame Hopkirk and Professor Penderdandis took the hand of Madame Sykes. Professor McGonagall seemed quite adept at dancing with the one-armed Professor Kettleburn.**

**Sev raised Martis' hand to his lips then led her out to the dance floor with everyone else, both settling into a closed potion and swaying gently to the soft mezzo of Madame Warbeck.**

**"With magic, magic, magic**

**you can take your imagination**

**Magic, magic, real magic**

**through the doorways of the mind**

**Magic, magic, magic**

**you may find a lot of inspiration**

**With magic, magic, real magic**

**of a very special kind ... "**

**Martis had left her sunglasses on the table and was able to gaze up into Sev's face by candlelight. His own gaze was indecipherable, and yet she felt he was speaking to her in their silence.**

**"Magic is a mystery**

**as ancient as the sun**

**If you know your history**

**you'll see how far we've come**

**Let the Light surround you**

**there is so much to be done**

**Education, evolution**

**ascension to the One ... "**

**Sev knew people watched them from the darkness ... Igor Karkaroff gazing over the shoulder of Oriana Crescent ... the Marauders waiting to trip them or humiliate them ... the Quidditch team making sure their Miss Spirals was safe ... **

**And yet staring back into her moss green eyes washed away the self-awareness, her scent and skin and gaze and overwhelming trust filling his senses.**

**"True magic, magic, magic**

**go to stars and moons and constellations**

**Magic, magic, real magic**

**Universal Mind**

**Magic, magic, magic**

**you can use your imagination**

**Magic, magic, real magic**

**of a very special kind**

**Rainbows you may find**

**of a very special kind ... "**

**Martis felt the subtle shift in the Other World. Karma was being made, rewoven, blending. Things were happening that she could not recognize, things between them that she was certain would affect them within the near future.**

**"Magic, magic, magic**

**you can take your imagination**

**Magic, magic, real magic**

**through the doorways of the mind**

**Magic, magic, magic**

**you may find a lot of inspiration**

**with magic, magic ... magic ... "**

**The song faded to an end, and everyone separated and politely applauded. Another song, slightly faster and meant for real dancing, started up.**

**"Want to rest?" Martis asked, breaking the silence between them.**

**"No," Sev answered, his eyes narrowing and his eyebrows lowering. "Let's show Sneerius and his boot-lickers how to really dance."**

**Martis shivered in his arms. "Yes, my darling Snips."**

**----------**

**Black was slightly preoccupied with a small problem.**

**A small problem in the form of Lambchop the Inflatable Sheep wearing a red party dress and following him around, head-butting him in the hind end and 'baa'ing after him.**

**Sarah had left him during the first number and sought the company of the Beauxbatons males, obviously not wanting to associate with anyone who was the focus of an inflatable sheep.**

**It did not help that Potter and Pettigrew were laughing their fool heads off while Carrie and the Bag-Head Girl had abandoned them in favor of Ravenclaw males.**

**Lupin was dancing with Asenath, but was soon glad to be free of her so he could pursue Miss Britomartis for the dance she promised him.**

**Potter, meanwhile, turned his attention to Lily Evans and Michel de Nostradom (whom both looked quite happy dancing together as they danced a tango) and finally decided to drown his sorrows in butterbeer.**

**Igor finally dumped Oriana off on Vladimir Jovonovich and circled around the edges of the party, staring intently at Martis and counting the dances she shared with that Snape creature.**

**Just when he thought he had his chance, one of those Gryffindor boys had approached them.**

**----------**

**Lupin tapped Sev's shoulder at the end of a foxtrot. "I'm cutting in."**

**Sev and Martis turned to look at him.**

**Sev opened his mouth, "Eat - "**

**Martis placed her hand on Sev's arm. "I promised Mr. Lupin I would dance with him since he warned me about Sirius Prat's plan to annoy me."**

**Sev raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "All right." He cocked his head slightly toward Lupin. "Any funny business, 'Loopy', and I'll set your hair on fire."**

**Lupin smiled wanly. "Including my eyebrows?"**

**Sev twirled Martis around into Lupin's arms. "When the fire reaches that high, it might singe your eyebrows." He bowed and walked back to get a butterbeer.**

**Lupin delicately held Martis in his arms as a slow waltz began to play. "It is an honest arrangement, Miss Britomartis."**

**"It's your affiliation and lack of backbone that annoys him," Martis explained, curving her hand around his neck and clasping her other hand in his. "Otherwise, I think you two would get along wonderfully."**

**Lupin chuckled. "Otherwise, Miss Britomartis." He held her close as he swept her across the floor, passing by Black being chased by Lambchop.**

**Martis giggled. "I almost feel sorry for him."**

**"Well, you two did release that thing on the school."**

**Martis blinked. "No, Mr. Lupin, we didn't. I thought you guys did."**

**Lupin shook his head. "Innocent of that particular prank, Miss Britomartis."**

**"Then who released it?" she asked as her brow wrinkled up.**

**"Don't think about it," Lupin whispered, holding her closer and inhaling her musky scent and a new perfume that made him think of strewn cushions, warm languid air, and the soft sighs of a pleasured female ... "Just feel the moment."**

**Martis gazed over his shoulder and locked eyes to Sev the whole time she danced with Remus Lupin.**

**----------**

**Sev felt his insides boiling as he watched Lupin holding his Martis way too damn close. He KNEW that stupid closet werewolf wanted her. Most males did, of course, but this particular one annoyed him more than the rest. The bugger was probably enjoying his perverted fantasies while dancing with her. If those hands drifted anywhere away from closed position and into 'bad' positions, Sev was going to turn that Gryffie's head into a cabbage.**

**"Thinking Dark thoughts, Snape?" Igor asked.**

**Sev folded his arms and crossed his ankles as he settled back in his chair. "Sort of. I see you abandoned Crescent quite early."**

**"A complete bore - throwing herself at me like a common ... thing. Hard to believe she's Pureblooded at all." **

**Sev chuckled. "Miss Crescent fancies herself aristocratic Pureblood rather than average Pureblood."**

**Igor settled next to him and leaned close across the arm of his chair toward Sev. "On the other hand, there are a few Pureblood girls who truly are aristocratic."**

**"I don't do small talk, Karkaroff," Sev grumbled. "What do you want?"**

**Igor glanced around, then drew his wand out and cast a 'non-evesdropping' charm on himself and Sev. "The time is Nigh, Snape. He's going to show his power to the world soon."**

**"Who?" Sev asked in irritation.**

**"The Dark Lord, the one our families have sold us to. My father says all of us were born for the Dark Lord."**

**Sev nodded miserably. "I know too well."**

**Igor leaned back a little. "I am not much in the way of the material the Dark Lord is looking for. I have ... some abilities - "**

**"As we all do," Sev answered. "That is why we call ourselves 'wizards' and not 'tax accountants'. And these abilities will be exploited to the umpteenth degree, no matter how 'trivial' we think our abilities to be."**

**Igor snorted. "You're not comprehending the seriousness of the situation, Snape!"**

**"I'm comprehending it well enough - everything will go through the Nine Levels of Hell in a handbasket." Sev sneered. "So, when is it going to start?"**

**"Don't know yet, but it will be soon." Igor glanced at the dance floor. "Why do you ask for a schedule?"**

**"Things to do ... "**

**"Then best to do them quick. We will not be human much longer." His gray eyes lowered. "And I intend to enjoy the humanity I have left with the abilities that I have."**

**"Then enjoy it someplace else," Sev muttered. "Nothing more pathetic than a screaming rat when the ship sinks."**

**Igor lifted the charm and wandered off, while Sev got up and cut back in on Martis and the Marauder. "All right, Lupin, you've had two dances - get lost."**

**Lupin raised Martis' hand to his lips and kissed the skin gently. "Thank you, Miss Britomartis, it was a pleasure."**

**"Most welcome, Mr. Lupin," she answered, already moving toward Sev.**

**He released her hand and disappeared into the crowd. Martis fell into dance-step with Sev.**

**"Well?" he asked.**

**Martis smirked. "If it makes you feel any better, dear Snips, he only tried to peek down my dress once."**

**"Five times," Sev corrected her as they moved across the dance floor. "But that was only because he had to eventually blink."**

**Her expression became blank. "I was only joking. I didn't notice him actually trying." She giggled. "Always the quiet ones."**

**----------**

**The evening wore on. The twins and their dates broke into a Lindy Hop during a particularly rambunctious number, which resulted in the students and faculty pressing back away from them to avoid getting hurt (especially with the heels that Adonia was wearing when she sailed through the air around Johnny's body).**

**Black had tried to escape into the Rose Gardens to get away from the dress-wearing Lambchop, but she had followed him there and consequently both got caught by Hagrid who was doing outside security during the event. ("Seems you and this Rose Garden ain't nothin' but trouble, Sirius.")**

**It appeared sometime during the evening, Pettigrew had been zapped by a girl and leeks began growing out of his ears. Potter and Lupin spent the rest of their time trying to reverse the hex.**

**This still did not prepare anyone for the rest of the evening.**

**----------**

**Celestina Warbeck spoke: "As many of you may know, the Wizard Farookh Bulsara is doing quite well as the frontman for the Muggle rock band known as Queen - "**

**Several of the students howled and cheered.**

**She continued, "Dear Farookh had asked me to 'demo' one of the songs his band wrote which will probably be released to the Muggles in a year or two, so you have the pleasure of hearing it here first."**

**The bass played out a hypnotic backbeat, then the lead guitar and drums announced their presence to a slow rock ballad:**

**"Ooh, you make me live**

**Whatever this world can give to me**

**It's you, you're all I see**

**Ooh, you make me live now, honey**

**Ooh, you make me live ... "**

**It was a relaxed, swing-type of song, and Sev led Martis around the dance floor. (Quite appropriate,) he thought. (This Muggle group is quite insightful.)**

**"Oh, you're the best friend**

**That I ever had**

**I've been with you such a long time**

**You're my sunshine**

**And I want you to know**

**That my feelings are true**

**I really love you**

**oh, you're my best friend ... "**

**(Not again,) Martis thought. (There it is ... the chest tightening, the stomach clenching, the legs turning to gelatin, the heart skipping, the heat searing under my skin ... either I'm about to cry or have a heart attack.) She pressed closer to him, the escaped hair from his braid tickling her cheek as her nose just barely touched his and her eyes focused onto his.**

**"Ooh, you make me live ...**

**Ooh, I've been wandering round**

**But I still come back to you (still come back to you)**

**In rain or shine**

**You've stood by me, hon**

**I'm happy at home (happy at home)**

**You're my best friend ... "**

**(Too insightful,) Sev decided. (What are they doing in my head?) He wondered what Martis was reading from his eyes; as was, he read things in her own eyes that he could not understand but had seen many, many times. Only by careful analysis he could pick out trust, acceptance, compassion, unconditional love ... and yet there were two or three other things he could not puzzle out. **

**"Ooh, you make me live**

**Whenever this world is cruel to me**

**I got you, to help me forgive - oo oo ooh**

**Ooh, you make me live now, honey**

**Ooh, you make me live ... "**

**Martis could not hear the song, the blood rushing and pumping through her veins drowned out all other noise. She wanted - needed - to tell him everything she had felt; it danced across her tongue to be let out. She would not have another chance - the air was electrified with the possibility of anything coming true and coming out good in the end.**

**As she convinced herself to finally tell him, she did not notice the song ending.**

**"Severus - " she breathed.**

**"Hm?" he responded.**

**The next song started up - a hard rock piece that caused several couples near them to shriek in excitement and shatter the Moment quite utterly and thoroughly.**

**Martis felt everything in her body stop then plunge into her stomach. No. The Moment had passed. "I need to ... powder my nose."**

**Sev nodded and released her, allowing Martis a quick getaway out of the Great Hall and to the girls' room.**

**A pair of gray eyes saw the figures separate, and decided to strike.**

**----------**


	4. Attack

**CHAPTER FOUR: "Attack"**

**Martis was glad she ignored her roommates' requests to paint her face. It made splashing water on it easier and less messy.**

**She fluttered her eyes open and stared at her reflection, her face dripping water and her hair still in place even though she had danced three tangos.**

**"What's wrong with you?" she hissed at her image. "What makes you think he'd want the same thing? He hasn't even ONCE tried to grope you! The whole thing is one-sided, you know! He only says those things to tease you back!"**

**She splashed water on her face again as she felt tears threaten to break.**

**Damn it. She wished she was eleven and he was thirteen again, when both were little kids and played pranks and were more innocent. Not now at fourteen and sixteen when hormones overwhelmed her common sense and he was physically capable of ...**

**Damn, damn, damn!**

**After a few more moments she had calmed down enough to dry her face. When she removed the towel, she was staring back at Moaning Myrtle.**

**"Not your usual bathroom, is it?" Martis asked.**

**Myrtle smirked nastily. "You shouldn't scold yourself so loud - could hear it all through the plumbing." Her expression softened and she sat back in the sink. "Are you finally going to ... what's the word this decade? ... 'jump' creepy little Snape?"**

**"Shut up, Myrtle."**

**The ghost's chin quivered. "Fine, be that way." She sank into the sink drain. "But I'll tell you this - boys are terribly, awfully cruel when you ask them to be yours. That happened just before I died, you know - crying over my heartbreak and that nasty bint Olive Hornby had to make things worse, forcing me in the bathroom where I died."**

**She vanished down the drain.**

**Martis rolled her eyes. "That was completely and utterly pointless."**

**A sob shot up through the drain as Martis turned to leave the girls' room.**

**She was stopped on her way out by a House-Elf appearing before her, sneezing before she handed Martis a note. "For Britty Vox, this is."**

**"Thanks, Sneezy," Martis answered as the House-Elf vanished and she opened the parchment.**

**'Spirals, meet me in the Rose Gardens. - Snips'**

**She turned the paper over, making sure there was nothing else, made sure the handwriting was his, and found it was legitimate. Pausing at the antechamber, she picked up her cloak and wrapped it around her body before ducking out through the courtyard and to the Rose Gardens.**

**What did he want to talk about in the Rose Gardens that he could not at the dance?**

**Unless there was to be little talking involved.**

**(Don't get your hopes up, girl.)**

**It seemed eerily quiet. It was an open secret that Hagrid was keeping an eye on the place in case any students 'gots any strange idears' about what to do with their dates. And yet, the quietness seemed too complete in the light of the nearly full moon. There was not even the breath of any wandering students.**

**Still it was lovely, the rose blooms tight in the cold air and their spiny vines looped around in the moonlight ...**

**"Panni Vox," a husky voice breathed behind her.**

**Martis spun around, gasping at the sound. "Mr. Karkaroff!"**

**"Did I frighten you? I hardly meant to." He stood close to her, his blonde hair almost silver in the moonlight and his pale features nearly translucent.**

**"Where's Severus?" she asked, feeling a headache suddenly pounding at the front of her head.**

**"Not here," he answered, reaching out to touch her face.**

**Martis swatted his hand away. "Leave me alone, Karkaroff." She turned and was startled to feel her feet not moving, then gasped as every muscle in her body froze. "What the - !"**

**He moved around her, his wand in hand. "I'm surprised at you, Panni Vox. My ability at suggestion should have you begging for release by this point, not resisting - "**

**"What are you talking about?" she demanded, feeling the headache now subsiding. "And let me go!"**

**He sighed. "Britomartis, how are you able to resist? My abilities in suggestion have given me anything I wanted - anyone I wanted. And yet, an earthy little snake charmer from a barbarian culture is able to resist the pulse of lust." He touched her face again; Martis' arms remained stiff at her side under the cloak. "Most commendable."**

**Realization dawned. "Do you have ANY idea what you're doing?" she hissed. "Trying to force a girl with witnesses around??"**

**"There won't be. As I said, my abilities at suggestion are quite powerful - there is no one here but us."**

**"You're trying to use an Unforgivable - !"**

**"No, this is not the Imperius Curse - this is merely suggestion. Several worlds' difference; a rare gift, and I just happened to have been born with the ability."**

**"And what do you think will happen after you've had your way?? You think I'll keep my mouth shut??"**

**"According to my own research, women become even more pliant to suggestion after the act. I'm sure you won't be able to resist much during the lassitude. You'll willingly become mine." His hand cupped her face. "I know many of the boys here have lusted after you, and yet ... it puzzles me as to why you save it for that Snape creature. You could have any male you wanted."**

**"Respect," she answered. "Which is what you lack, you sick freak."**

**"Don't fight it any more than you have to," Igor remarked, twirling his wand and causing the cloak to tear from her body, exposing her to the cold December air. He leaned close to her, his fingertips tracing her jaw and throat. "We're the same, you know. Both touched by Darkness. Our humanity will be gone before you know it and we will not able to ... enjoy such things without it being tainted and terrible."**

**"And this isn't?" Martis desperately forced herself to move, but the body lock hex prevented a single muscle from twitching.**

**"Once we are Called, there will be no more Innocence. It will be lost to you." His fingers brushed the neckline of her gown down her shoulders, exposing her skin to the cold.**

**"You do know you can't rape me while I'm hexed with this, you'll damage yourself."**

**Igor shook his head, pressing a fingertip to her lips, his other hand tearing the neck drape of her gown down the front of her body. "It's nothing as common as 'rape'."**

**She screamed as his hands touched her.**

**"Scream all you want, nobody will - "**

**ZARK!**

**The Protection Spells around the school were very precise. Unlike Slytherin, where simple acts and thoughts could trigger them, the rest of the school permitted the usual showings of gentle affection between students.**

**However, the school was built during a time of Crusades, Viking raids, and warring armies. The possibility of rape was real and would not be tolerated - the four founders were very clear that any student under their care would be protected from such horrors.**

**Martis fell to the ground when the flaming spear of energy tore through the air and slammed into Igor Karkaroff, breaking his concentration at the same time as the spear pinned him by the shoulder into a stone bench.**

**"I - WILL - KILL - YOU!" Martis cried, sitting up and pulling her skirt back enough for her to retrieve her wand from her boot.**

**Several people ran out, having heard the clap of thunder from the activation of the anti-rape spell; taking in the scene of Martis' dress half off and the magical flaming spear pinning Igor by the shoulder, the split-second of shock allowed Sev to push his way to the front.**

**Sev's face flushed white and his wand slipped down his sleeve and into his hand. In a cold, emotionless voice he stated, "Pray, you bastard."**

**Black and silver energy crackled about his body as the unholy winds of Dark Magic swirled about him. Raising his wand, the Dark energies focused on him, creating a maelstrom around his body as he incanted the names of the Dark Angels of Vengeance and Destruction: **

**"Abaddon ... Asmodeus ... Barkiel ... "**

**"Severus!" Dumbledore yelled. "DON'T SUMMON THEM!"**

**"Eiael ... Guziel ... Hemah ... "**

**The tall windows of the Great Hall shattered outward, raining down on the courtyard and Rose Gardens. Students screamed and ran. The adults spread out through the Rose Gardens and circled the Dark teenager. **

**"Imamiah ... Kemuel - "**

**"Severus!" Martis cried.**

**At least two dozen silencing charms struck Severus Snape at once, knocking him unconscious from the circled impact.**

**Dead silence followed, save for the sound of two wands clattering to the stone ground.**

**Once everyone's eyes refocused, they stared at a sobbing Britomartis Vox holding an unconscious Severus Snape's head in her lap. Near them, their wands lay crosswise on the ground as the Dark energies flittered around them then finally faded into the fabric of space.**

**Headmistress Auttenbaum approached Igor Karkaroff, her school's Champion writhing in pain from the spear. She spat down at his face, then kicked the magical spear with her boot and causing him to shriek in pain. **

**"You're disqualified."**

**----------**

**Dumbledore, Auttenbaum, and Flavert were in the Hogwarts Headmaster's office just after midnight.**

**"The students of my school now know what happened," Dumbledore said quietly.**

**"I am aware," Auttenbaum stated. "Due to the horrendous conduct of my Champion, I voluntarily resign my school from the Tournament." Her eyes became even colder. "And punish him properly outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry." She gazed back up at Dumbledore. "I thank you for your hospitality, Albus, but I am quite sure there is a lynch mob forming at this moment - I must protect the rest of my students. Elbucsuzik vkitol."**

**Several of the portraits made raspberry noises at her.**

**Gertenguarde Attenbaum left the office, her black fur-trimmed robes being the last the two other Headmasters saw of her until that day in 1980 when parts of her dismembered corpse washed up in Nova Scotia.**

**Both men shook their heads of the vision. Malfada Hopkirk and Jocunda Sykes entered the office. "You do know," Madame Hopkirk said. "That the Tournament will be canceled due to this - "**

**"Sick freak," Madame Sykes added.**

**The portraits mumbled in agreement.**

**"Yes, ladies," Dumbledore agreed. "The circumstances demand it, and it may be well that this tournament be struck from public record."**

**"Sounds reasonable," Madame Hopkirk agreed. "After all, this transgression completely defeated the purpose of the tournament to begin with."**

**Dumbledore glanced toward the small man. "Professor Flavert?"**

**The Headmaster of Beauxbatons nodded. "Yes, of course, I agree completely. If you will, Professor Dumbledore, my students will leave in the morning when we're more refreshed."**

**"Yes, Orlando, that would be fine."**

**"Then good night to you, Albus. I hope your students recover from this trauma."**

**Headmaster Flavert bowed cordially to the lady judges, then left the office. Madame Sykes also gave her regards for the welfare of the students involved and followed him.**

**Madame Hopkirk's brow wrinkled. "That boy used Dark magic."**

**The portraits quieted, which gave the room an odd silence.**

**Dumbledore knew she was referring to his student. "Severus is a Dark Child, Malfada."**

**"I expected it from Durmstrang, but not from here."**

**A portrait of a headmaster with a walrus mustache cleared his throat, "Of course we don't teach such things here, Madame! Except for Nigellus, there - "**

**Phineas Nigellus' portrait squawked in reply and he left his painting to confront the headmaster with the walrus mustache.**

**Dumbledore ignored the portraits taking bets, and rounded his desk. "It is nothing we teach at this school, I assure you. That child came here with more Dark Arts crammed into his head that any person three times his age had any business knowing."**

**"Poor child," one of the headmistresses sighed.**

**Madame Hopkirk's face turned white. "Then - !"**

**Dumbledore raised his hand to silence the Head of Misuse of Magic. "Malfada, we are doing all we can to help that child purge the Darkness. We are fighting for his soul."**

**Her brows lowered over her eyes. "Please continue to do so, then. You-Know-Who is rumored to be looking for these Dark Wizarding children."**

**Dumbledore's blue eyes hardened. "This is one child he will not claim."**

**----------**

**No one was sure who started the mob or what their actual numbers were. Most were quite sure it was comprised of Slytherins, although there were sightings of scarlet, blue, and yellow robe linings in the mob.**

**The Durmstrang ship was sinking into the lake by the time every single person within the mob whipped their wands out and incanted at once, "INFLATIO!"**

**When the topmost of the highest mast sank, the collected mob smiled grimly to itself, then turned back to the castle to the quiet applause of other students and a few faculty members (they might have been faculty, especially the one in the tartan cloak).**

**Everyone on the enclosed Durmstrang ship became sick with the expelled gases from their digestive tracts.**

**----------**

**Professor Sartoris scribbled his signature on the report, then hurried to the Owlery and picked an owl at random to deliver the message to his Master.**

**This night's events were going to blow up in their faces if the boy continued on this route. He had no control over him. And once that boy woke up and Dumbledore began talking to him about what happened, Hell was going to break loose like a hungry dragon.**

**He released the owl into the night.**

**----------**


	5. Aftermath

**CHAPTER FIVE: "Aftermath"**

**Madame Pomfrey stared at the two Slytherin students in her infirmary.**

**Snape was still unconscious, but Vox had to be calmed down with a Morphus Charm to be able to sleep at all, and even then she was crying fitfully in her sleep.**

**Much as common sense told her the idea would not work and how ridiculous it was, her gut told her otherwise. After some delicate rearranging, she placed the sleeping girl next to the unconscious boy in his bed.**

**Martis' arm seemed to automatically drape around his chest and she quieted as she snuggled close and fit against his body as if it were completely natural.**

**Pomfrey place her hand over her mouth in the silence, disbelieving the obvious Bond before her. Adults, yes, she expected it - but not in a pair so young!**

**It implied things about the two children she did not want to consider yet.**

**----------**

**Remus Lupin had awakened early the next morning, still feeling empty as he quietly got dressed and left his dorm room.**

**If Sirius had not been serving detention with Hagrid over that silly business with the inflatable sheep, he probably would have joined him and James in their 'send-off' to Durmstrang the previous night.**

**If there was anything that he could be called, a 'rapist' was not one of them. He certainly hoped Karkaroff got his comeuppance from his classmates and his scary Headmistress.**

**Lupin quietly opened the door to the hospital wing and saw Madame Pomfrey sitting next to a bed and darning something.**

**In the bed was Miss Britomartis ... and Snape.**

**With Pomfrey looking over them.**

**Lupin shut the door and felt for a reaction. Then decided that he saw nothing - it was probably a early manifestation of the dementia for tonight's full moon. Pomfrey would not allow students to share a bed, must less be looking after them as well.**

**----------**

**Sev and Martis both became aware of their surroundings at nearly the same time, as well as being quite aware of holding each other in one of the soft hospital beds.**

**Their eyes snapped open and they gazed at each other.**

**"How did we get here?" she whispered.**

**Sev shook his head. "I don't know, but Pomfrey's going to kill us - "**

**"I already know," the school nurse said next to them. "Because I placed you here."**

**Both students blushed and moved away from each other. Pomfrey smirked.**

**"Don't bother," she added. "I kept a watch on you both the whole night. I felt ... this was better treatment than simple charms."**

**Martis sat up, rubbing the shoulders of her infirmary-issued pink pajamas. "Is he gone?"**

**"That nasty boy who tried to hurt you? Indeed. They left within an hour of the occurrence."**

**Sev drew his knees up, his infirmary-issued white pajamas looking unnatural with his aura. "Pity. I was going to kill him."**

**"We know," Pomfrey sniffed. "You were hit with two dozen silencing charms which knocked you out before you could summon those Dark Angels." She shivered. "I respect your rage, Mr. Snape, but you know that Dark Arts will not be used on these grounds."**

**Sev lowered his head to his knees as Martis scooted next to him and rested her temple against his hand.**

**"So how much trouble are we in?" Martis asked.**

**Dumbledore's voice replied, "None at all."**

**Pomfrey looked up to the Headmaster, then got up and went to another part of the hospital wing. **

**Martis gazed up at him. "I hear most other cultures blame the woman when she is or is about to be raped because she encouraged the rapist by being born female."**

**"Do you think I would do such a thing?" Dumbledore asked as he sat down in Pomfrey's chair.**

**She shook her head. "No."**

**"And I won't. Mr. Karkaroff's actions were horrible and perverse - he is the one to blame." He leaned close. "If we had any idea what sort of person he was, he would not have been allowed in the school."**

**Martis' eyes narrowed. "And yet you know exactly what Sirius Black is and he's still attending."**

**Dumbledore gave one of those infuriating grins that seemed to calm Martis slightly. "Sirius Black is irresponsible, short-sighted, and somewhat of a lackwit, but not consciously evil. Those can be cured with patient effort. Mr. Karkaroff, on the other hand, was consciously evil. It is an easy error, my dear Martis, to mistake stupidity for malevolence, but there is a clear difference. That is why this is a school and not a military training camp - stupidity can only be cured by enlightenment. We prepare our students to battle Evil within and without, and enlighten them before stupidity can be turned to Evil."**

**Sev made a sound that might have been described as a strangled chuckle. "With Black and his Communal Marriage, that would seem to be an uphill battle."**

**"Perhaps, but the redemption of a soul is a battle worth fighting. Perhaps more so than avenging one's friends." He gave both reassuring pats on the heads. "You can argue and complain - excellent! A good sign. You both rest, we shall have a meal sent to you."**

**Sev still regarded him through narrow eyes. "No lecture about my trying to summon Dark beings?"**

**"We'll get to that, we'll get to that; Severus," Dumbledore assured him as he got up.**

**As the Headmaster left, Martis gazed at Sev. "Was it revenge?"**

**Sev looked away. "I don't know." He inhaled deeply. "I wasn't thinking, I just ... reacted."**

**She reached up and patted her hair, now messy and all over the place from the previous night's activities. "I was going to kill him. I remember that Unforgivable you tried to cast at that Dark Wizard ... and I was ... going to use it ... "**

**"You aren't Dark enough," Sev told her. "It requires a soulless Darkness to be able to cast that one because it is a Death Curse."**

**"You aren't soulless."**

**"Which is probably where I went wrong in my descent into evil."**

**"And you aren't evil." She embraced him.**

**"No, just Dark and twisted and tainted."**

**"I couldn't love you if you were." She pulled away slightly, staring into his face.**

**Sev looked up at her, then lay his head on her shoulder and broke into tears.**

**----------**

**Voldemort studied the second letter from his Hogwarts recruiter with a barely controlled chuckle.**

**He glanced up at Confutatis Maledictis Snape, whom had entered the room with his hooked nose in the air. "Snape, please come before me."**

**"I do as you will, Dread Lord." The Dark aristocrat bowed his head.**

**The Dark Lord sneered slightly at Snape not prostrating himself properly.**

**"There is one at Hogwarts who is distracting your son, Snape," Voldemort said. "This one who makes your son turn to the Light instead of paying heed to his Dark studies." **

**The Senior Snape snorted. "My son is not that much of a fool."**

**"According to Sartoris, he is a much larger fool than you imagine. He hasn't been to the Restricted Section of the library in over a month and has abandoned his studies entirely. Instead, he has been learning to dance, especially with one girl in particular." **

**Snape narrowed his eyes. "Ridiculous, My Lord." **

**"Indeed," Voldemort sighed. "If your son truly has his father's Dark blood, then such things are distractions. And distractions ... such as courtship ... are counteractive to our goals."**

**"Who is this person?" **

**Voldemort smirked. "A little girl." The smirk became a cold leer. "Although one is hard-pressed to call her 'little' considering her maturity." The cold leer left his inhuman face. "One of those old snake-charmers from the Mediterranean Basin. Time and destiny has slapped their culture down; it keeps rising up over and over again. Right now it is attaining ascendancy on the Isle of Crete. White magic, I'm afraid. The Darker Arts were abandoned, and lie covered as profoundly as the ancient temples under seventy feet of volcanic ash." **

**"What is the girl's name? I'll make sure she doesn't interfere," Snape hissed.**

**"I claim responsibility for this one," Voldemort admitted. "She was one of my early projects, another child I had planned to bring into my fold like the others, but her resistance to any attempts of coercion have fallen flat. I had rather hoped that she and your son - in their connecting to each other - would provide us with yet another follower, but ... certain events ... have shown that she will become too dangerous to keep."**

**Snape sniffed, not quite following, but keeping his mouth shut.**

**"You should be proud of him though, Snape," the Dark Lord continued. "According to Professor Sartoris, the boy has practiced what he learned from you. Once his control slips, he reverts right back to what you've taught him - this past Yule has proven this true. Seems he got into a fight over this girl with one of my Durmstrang proteges and used the Dark Arts against him."**

**Snape grinned coldly, understanding such things. "Excellent."**

**"Quite impressive - if she had not interrupted, it would have been a lovely piece of destruction. This is why I must remove her and keep your son under watch. I have begun a plan to remove the girl. Your son's life will be restored to what it was before she arrived - a life devoted to the study of the Dark Arts and the application of these Arts." Voldemort's voice dropped. "She is giving him too much Light, and we will lose him if this continues."**

**"Be best to kill the girl, then."**

**"No. I have something more exquisite in mind for a punishment for both her and your son." He smiled, speaking to himself. "The future belongs to the strong - and the subtle. To shape the destiny of worlds, a sculptor's touch is required, not hammer blows. Our materials are at hand, and the lightning has briefly illuminated the vista. The artwork that is tomorrow may now be shaped - but properly."**

**Snape Senior frowned; he was not a deep man, and the Dark Lord was waxing too metaphysical for him to follow. Instead of trying to find understanding, he fell back on his first impulse.**

**"Command me, My Lord."**

**----------**

**CHAPTER SIX: "Healing"**

**The following week up until New Year's was a quiet one at Hogwarts. No one talked about the Triwizard Tournament, and the goings-on during the Yule Ball had reached the point in which nobody wanted to speak of it, either.**

**Slytherin would always remember, for it was one of their number that had been assaulted.**

**Martis and Sev had returned to their House and had become silent fixtures in the common room ... Sev sitting on the couch and reading while Martis leaned against his back and wrapped her arms around him. They would sit like this for hours, not saying a single word, but the more sensitive among the Slytherins knew things were being exchanged between the two on other levels that did not require voice.**

**People left them alone, and that is all they wanted.**

**----------**

**"How long are they going to be like that?" Slytherin House Master Gallo Penderdandis asked.**

**House Mother Rowena Price shrugged, watching the two students sit quietly in the common room. "I did talk with the girl a bit. She says she's working out what had happened."**

**"And draping herself over Mr. Snape is helping?" Penderdandis sniffed.**

**"Gallo, you haven't the heart to break it up, either."**

**"Well, I do hope this works out properly by the time classes start again. I will not grant either permission to drag the other to their class for them to look like Siamese twins."**

**----------**

**It was one evening after Martis had gone to bed when Penderdandis approached Sev and said, "The Headmaster wishes to see you, Mr. Snape."**

**Sev nodded, closing his book and getting up to follow his House Master out of the common room and to the gargoyle niche of the Headmaster's office. After he had gained entry, he stepped into the book-scented office.**

**"You wished to see me, sir?" Sev asked quietly.**

**Dumbledore nodded and descended the staircase from the library loft. "How is Martis?"**

**Sev shrugged, looking away. "She doesn't talk much. The last few days have resulted in less than twenty words from her."**

**"Then what are you two doing?"**

**Sev looked up sharply. "Stay on the couch - I read, she leans against me. That's all."**

**Dumbledore raised his hand. "I wasn't implying anything, Severus, I was merely curious."**

**"Sorry, sir." Sev folded his arms. "This is about the Dark beings, isn't it?"**

**"Yes." Dumbledore sat down and motioned Sev to sit as well. "Remember that discussion we had back during your First-Year?"**

**Sev nodded. During the Fall Festival of his First-Year, he had accidentally summoned a real dragon (as opposed to an illusion) on Gryffindor Tower in retaliation against what the Marauders had done to him. "You're going to contact my father again, aren't you?"**

**"No. The circumstances around the reason for the attempted summoning are more legitimate than last time's. I have nearly all of the staff begging me to not punish you for it, even though the replacement of the Great Hall's windows strained the school budget."**

**"My apologies, Headmaster, for shattering the windows. I was not aware the energies would result in any physical damage outside the target." He brushed hair back into his braid and gazed down at the floor, looking like the sixteen-year-old boy he was rather than a fountain of Dark Arts knowledge. "If you are looking for an apology for my use of them, that I'm afraid I cannot do."**

**"I don't expect you, too. But, Severus, please remember that any use of the Dark Arts in this school is still considered forbidden - I still ask you to not use them here, no matter what happens."**

**He looked up again. "I have not used Dark Arts in over four years, sir."**

**"I know, Son. And I am proud of you for that." His mouth curled up into a smile in his beard. "Once Martis comes back to herself, I'm sure things will go back to normal with pranks and ice cream raids."**

**Sev nodded, smiling despite himself. "Yes, they will."**

**He got up to leave and Dumbledore said, "And Severus?"**

**Sev turned. "Yes, sir?"**

**"Take her flying around the pitch after dark soon, that'll cheer her up."**

**Sev's mouth fell open, then he grinned and left the office.**

**----------**

**Martis did not want to think the past week; she just wanted to be quiet and hold Sev and wish the world away. He was comforting and safe, allowing her to hold him for hours at a time as he read.**

**There was nothing to think about. Any time her mind wandered back to that night, she played out the different scenarios until she was the one succeeding in killing that rapist bastard.**

**In some versions, she dreamed that Karkaroff managed to achieve his plan, and she responded with suicide.**

**Others, she imagined Sev had finished casting the summons of the Dark Angels and Karkaroff was tortured to death by dark figures with lambent wings and shiny armor.**

**And there were some in her darkest thoughts that replaced Karkaroff with Sev and she willingly accepted his ravishment.**

**These were the ones that made her disgusted with herself for even thinking of them.**

**But most of the time was spent feeling his back against her chest and smelling his braided hair and the thin material of his tunic against her cheek and his waist where her arms were rounded and the pulse of his heartbeat.**

**The Thursday after New Year's he closed his book, turned around in her arms, and whispered, "We're going flying tonight."**

**Martis stared at him. "What?"**

**"After everyone's asleep we're going flying tonight. Over the pitch." He kissed her forehead. "Be ready; I'll meet you in the common room just before midnight."**

**Martis nodded dumbly.**

**----------**

**Sev quietly dressed in his warmest clothes, pilfered Evan's cloak, and silently escaped his dorm room, finding Martis in the common room with her broom in one hand.**

**He clutched her hand in his and led her out of the common room, through the dungeons, then out of the school and toward the Quidditch stadium. Entering the prep-room, they opened the flaps to the pitch.**

**"I promised to take you flying," he said softly.**

**Martis nodded. "Yes, you did. But only during a school dance."**

**"It's needed." Sev picked her hand up and kissed her knuckles. "Besides, you haven't laughed in over a week and I miss it."**

**"Been ... " She let the word hang, then mounted her broom and took off into the darkness.**

**Sev mounted his and shot off after her, feeling the freezing winds whip his braid back. He followed her, keeping tabs on her emotional reactions to flying.**

**After ten minutes, she still seemed listless - she had not even once tried a loop-de-loop.**

**Swooping around in her line of vision, Sev called out, "Check out my barrel rolls!"**

**"Snips! You know you can't do barrel rolls!"**

**He leaned to the side, rolling over so his back was level with the ground, then moved around ... and got stuck in a quick roll over and over which made him dizzy as he zigged-zagged to gain his balance.**

**He heard her snort, which was followed by a giggle. Pulling himself back up, he straightened out in time to fly through the goal hoop and almost into one of the faculty stands.**

**Sev veered, narrowly missing the stand, and managed to pull himself back into standard flight. He looked up to see Martis diving down toward him, a grin across her face.**

**"Snips!"**

**"Good, you're laughing," he returned, plowing up through the air toward her and hovering level. "Prettier when you laugh."**

**Martis' grin fell into a tired smile. "You're good for my soul, Severus."**

**Sev reached across, brushing her bangs from her eyes. "As you are for mine, my Martis."**

**They flew over the pitch for several more hours.**

**----------**


	6. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

**Tap, tap, tap.**

**Martis startled awake, looking around wildly.**

**Her green bed curtains, her bed at school. Felt like she had just gone to sleep after having flown half the night with Sev.**

**Tap, tap, tap.**

**She opened the bed curtains carefully, the cool air rushing in.**

**Tap, tap, tap.**

**An owl was knocking at the window.**

**Martis crawled out of bed, shoving her feet into slippers and pulling a dressing gown on.**

**Tap, tap, tap.**

**She unlatched the window and a tiny gray owl with large yellow eyes glided into the room. "Mykos?"**

**The family owl gave her a dry 'hoo' and settled on her arm, offering a leg with a scroll tied to it.**

**Martis quickly unscrolled it, hoping everyone at home was safe - **

**'Britomartis,**

**I expect you to be packed and ready to leave Hogwarts by noon when the train leaves to go back to London today. There you will meet with an escort to take you to Beauxbatons Academy, where you are being sent for the rest of your academic career.**

**Cordially,**

**Saphira Vox'**

**Martis was unaware of her legs shaking until she hit the floor, the paper fluttering out of her hand. "No."**

**The words burned across the darkness: ' ... for the rest of your academic career ... '**

**The lump in her throat threatened to choke her as her blood roared in her ears.**

**"No."**

**No Hogwarts ... no Slytherin Quidditch ... no Headmaster Dumbledore ... no Artemisia or Adonia or Phaedra ... no charms with Flitwick or Divinations with von Gruppen or Binns' droning voice in History of Magic ... no Bloody Baron and Nearly Headless Nick and Peeves ... no squid in the lake ... no Aki or Ori or Peony or Fallon ... no Conversation Room ... no flying over the pitch with Sev ...**

**... and no Severus Snape ...**

**... no Snips and Spirals ...**

**Alone.**

**The scream of anguish awoke half of the girls' dorm.**

**-The End-**


End file.
